CH. 7: The Viper's Nest

[djhyland]

Arulia shakes her head no. "We won't go broke...I'll find a way to make sure of that if I have to. And I'm not telling you to not marry, but to marry only if you want to and if you like your suitor." She sighs, at a loss of words to convey her point to Cassilda. "Both loves are good, I think. But you've seen that love can cause people to do foolish things, haven't you? Like...like when Osmir the miller left his wife and children for another woman because he decided that he loved her more? I'm glad that you love us enough to think about marriage to help us, but what is love if it hurts you?"

[HorizonsDream]

"I don't know how much information I can gather in one day," Kendra admits. "And I haven't exactly made the best impression with the army in the first place since I killed one of the draconians to join the army," she explains. "But I'll do what I can," she assures him. "But, if I'm not able to really help, does this mean that tomorrow is the last time I'm going to see you?"

[JadedDM]

Kendra Greylock (Toom's former home)
"Perhaps," Sardon answers. "But hopefully not. It will all depend on what additional intel you can find and whether an opportunity to strike can be found. Regardless, whatever happens, I want to thank you for what you have done for my people," he says.

Tulbas Erogund (Unknown location)
"And what makes you so important that the church would send you alone to investigate us, and then send a pack of mercenaries after you when you went missing?" asks the priest with the flexible spine. "These men knew you were here and demanded your release, threatening us in the process."

"We have heard nothing of any giant," says the priestess. Tulbas realizes that the only people who would have really cared about the giant being killed were the refugees and the Cult of the Master, both of which are gone now. Also, it happened the night before the city invasion, so it was likely overshadowed by that. "Give usss the namesss of thessse people who were in your company then. The human with the broad sssword, the goblin cleric and a shapeshifting gnome."

Arulia Seroth (323 Three Forks, Seroth residence)

"We won't go broke...I'll find a way to make sure of that if I have to."

"What are you going to do?" asks Camilla. "And why haven't you done it yet?"

But you've seen that love can cause people to do foolish things, haven't you? Like...like when Osmir the miller left his wife and children for another woman because he decided that he loved her more?

Cassilda thinks it over, and appears confused. "So...was Osmir good or bad for leaving his family? You said he was foolish, but you are also saying that putting your own happiness over the family's is more important, too."

While they talk, Vera brings in dinner to the table. "Leek soup again?" complains Camilla.

"It's all we can afford right now," Vera says. "It's not so bad, really."

[chese780]

"So, what do you mean by talents" Felran says softly.

[TristenC]

Well, do you mainly rely on your fighting ability, or do you use magic? Do you have any... infiltration skills, or anything else that might come into play? For example, I am well-trained to bandage people up when they are injured.

[BishGada]

"I'm not important at all. If they are indeed from the company they want to put their hands on me without risking a fight with you, and so they are bluffing. If they were sent by the church they use me as an excuse to blame you for provoking the wrath of the church." Tulbas answers thoughtfully.
"I didn't catch all the mercenaries names but there was one gnome now that I come to think of it, but she was female and not male, and her name was Suneim or something. And one of the humans was called Mateo I think. He was capable fighter. And the ranger that hired me, and the others too I guess, was called James. Magnus was there and he kindda mocked me all the time, so I remember him perfectly..." Tulbas adds thinking that Magnus belittling him would agree with the priests arrogance and so will distract them from the main course of interrogation.

[HorizonsDream]

The thought of never seeing Sadron again put a frown upon Kendra's face. She all ready believed she would never see him again, and that proved to be not true. Though, she didn't want to live her life thinking that way again. "I'm not really sure I did it for your people," she says. "I'm doing it for you."

[djhyland]

Arulia sighs at Camilla's doubt, but she understands it all too well. "Because I can't join the army. Because there's no work anywhere else. Because there's nowhere else to go that's better than here," she thinks. She doesn't try putting on a brave smile, and she knows that it won't fool her sister anyway. "I don't know what I'll do," she admits. "I'll find something...I'll sell my armor and my mace if I have to." "What is the use of them if I can't join the army, anyway? Mementos of a father's love, when that father didn't even care enough to stay around and see me born?"

Cassilda's question makes her feel little better than Camilla's does, but at least it doesn't involve them starving or not. "Leaving his family was bad, of course," she says, realizing that she hasn't yet made the clear distinction that her sister needs. "There is a difference between seeing to your own happiness and hurting others by putting your own happiness first. Thus far, nobody's going to starve or get hurt if you don't agree to marry someone you don't love. Maybe Niniva or I will marry someone rich enough to support us all and you won't have to marry at all. Maybe you'll find a suitor that is rich and that you love." She shakes her head. "As I said to Camilla, I'll find a way to give you the choice...somehow."

Arulia smiles and takes the bowl of leek soup from her mother. "Thank you for making it, Mother," she says. "I happen to like leek soup, and it's certainly better than nothing."

[JadedDM]

Kendra Greylock (Toom's former home)
Sadron gives her a warm smile. "Well, you do not owe myself or my people anything, but you help us anyway. And we appreciate it, nonetheless. But I should get back, as should you. Curfew is beginning, and it will look suspicious if anyone sees you here. Return tomorrow night with any intelligence you've gathered; I'll be waiting."

Tulbas Erogund (Unknown location)
"My patience is wearing thin," says the snake-armed priest. "Clearly, you are not taking this seriously." He gestures and the other two grab Tulbas and force him into the chair, then begin tying him to it.

"The church would not need an 'excuse to blame us for provoking them.' They want us all dead to a man. Why would they need an excuse to do so?" asks the priest. "And you continue to not answer my questions. I do not care about a female gnome, or a ranger or a mage. I want the names and locations of the three men who attacked this place, searching for you: The goblin cleric, the human with the broad sword, and the shapechanging gnome. You will give them to me now, or things will get much worse for you." He retrieves a tray of small surgical tools, all of them quite sharp.

Arulia Seroth (323 Three Forks, Seroth residence)
The family begins to eat dinner and topics of conversation inevitably are shifted in other directions.

When the meal is over, everyone begins to get ready for bed. But Thoron approaches Arulia when she is alone to speak with her, away from the others. "Listen, I know you mean well...but I'm not sure you should be making promises to the girls you may not be able to keep. Sometimes the world deals you a bad hand and you have no choice but to play it. You can't always reshape things out of sheer will alone." He sighs. "For what it's worth, I hope you are right. That somehow everything will just work out for us. But you shouldn't be betting on it, understand?"

[BishGada]

'Damn! I'm facing a dead end!' Tulbas thinks to himself. 'If I'll give them Gregeddin and Haaque they would consider me a liar and won't trust me. But they don't trust me right now either!' He looks at the tools quiet horrified. "Look, I told you what I know. The humans were Mateo, James and Magnus. Mateo had a sword. I think it was broad... Please, I don't know the gnome. Maybe he is this Suneim boyfriend, and the goblin... I'm telling you the truth! I don't know any goblin. How can I convince you I'm telling the truth?" he looks at them with panic.
'Maybe I should tell them Sigbert can vouch for me. This would be the last rabbit I can pull out of the hat. I just hope it won't retaliate at me as the previous attempts to weasel myself out of this situation. They would probably ask me where I know him from and why did I attack him last night if he knows me.'

[HorizonsDream]

"Right, home," Kendra says. That was really one place she didn't want to go, but she knew she had to at some point. She smiles lightly to Sadron, then turns and leaves to go home.

[djhyland]

Arulia nods at her father's words, but when he finishes speaking, she disagrees. "I don't want the girls to marry if they don't want to. I've seen what that does to a person. I'll do what I must to make sure we can make ends meet. I'll marry if I have to, I'll sell my armor and weapon, I'll join a mercenary company--whatever it takes." She falls silent, her mouth screwed up in distaste at the thoughts.

[JadedDM]

Kendra Greylock (2527 Market Street, Greylock's Gorgeous Gems)
Kendra returns home sullenly, finding Norris waiting for her. Dinner sits on the table, already cold. "It's an hour after curfew," he remarks. "I thought...I was worried you had been arrested...or worse."

Tulbas Erogund (Unknown location)
"Your story doesn't add up," says the snake-hand priest. "Why would the church care if you live or die? Why would they hire mercenaries to go after you? And why would these mercenaries--complete strangers, so you claim--try and make a deal to free you, even though all they have to do is report our location to the church and still get paid?"

The priest with the flexible spine picks up a tool--a sharp blade with numerous saw-like teeth on it, and walks to Tulbas. "You would have us believe a tale of coincidences and random happenstances. But we are not as stupid as you seem to think. We think you are a spy...sent here to infiltrate us. And these mercenaries were your companions, looking to rescue you." He takes hold of Tulbas' left ear, and places the blade right below the lobe. "Now tell us...the names and locations of the human, the gnome and the goblin. We don't care about anyone else, just those three. Names and locations, now, elf."

Arulia Seroth (323 Three Forks, Seroth residence)
Thoron nods sympathetically. "I know you would," he says. "But you should keep in mind, even if you do all of those things, it still might not be enough. You can't protect this family from everything alone. Especially in times like these. We may all be forced to make sacrifices, not just you."

[HorizonsDream]

"I'm allowed out after curfew," Kendra says. She pulls out her ID papers, and places them on the table for him to look at. She then grabs her dinner, and goes to heat it up.

[djhyland]

Arulia nods. "I know. I just...I just don't want them to be unhappy. Maybe marriage will be fine for Niniva--she certainly seems excited with the idea, and Cassilda is at least considering it. But Camilla wants nothing to do with it, and she's only 12! Do you really think that she'll be happy if we force her to marry someone, much less someone she doesn't like?"